| Friend, Walgreens has announced it will no longer dispense abortion medication in 24 states, even where it’s legal.(1) The nation’s second-largest pharmacy chain is bowing to pressure from red state governors, barring women from a medication that is safer than Viagra and even Tylenol.(2) Walgreens cannot be allowed to restrict the right to safe and legal abortion, which is why Courage California is joining the call to boycott the pharmacy chain in all 50 states until it reverses the decision. The good news is that Governor Gavin Newsom has already said that the California government won’t be doing business with Walgreens, but to truly make an impact, we need individual customers to follow suit.(3) We need to stop this abuse of corporate power before one more woman is hurt. Sign our pledge now to boycott Walgreens until it reverses its decision on abortion medication!
When we say that abortion medication is safer than Tylenol, we mean it. Complications are recorded in only 0.035% of users, with only 13 recorded cases of severe issues in the quarter century since it was approved.(4) To put that in perspective, more than 3,500 people have died from Tylenol overdose in the same time period.(5) And now more than half of all early-pregnancy abortions are safely done by medication, which is why the FDA allowed pharmacies to distribute the drug.(6) So why is Walgreens refusing to sell the medication even in states where it’s legal? Because they are more concerned about politics and profits than health care. Prohibiting access to abortion medication is prohibiting access to health care, full stop. Clinics are already overrun in states where abortion is still legal, and the Walgreens decision will mean some women just won’t be able to have an abortion.(7) As Newsom said, the decision puts lives at risk.(8) It’s bad enough that extremist legislators are taking away our rights -- we can’t allow corporations to do so as well. The only language that a corporation like Walgreens understands is money, and if enough of us sign on to boycott, the pharmacy will have to listen. We know it’s a big ask -- many of us get our prescriptions, toiletries, and more there. And if your health insurance is tied to Walgreens, you may not be able to participate. But standing up for our rights and the health of women is more important than convenience in this moment. Sign our pledge to boycott Walgreens today. Thank you for joining the fight to protect health care.
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